Agricultural Telecommunications 2001
Full Proposal 6.3 / 20516

Project Summary:

Title of Project:	Dairy Beef: Maximizing Quality and Profits
Project Director:	Dale A. Moore, DVM, PhD
Applicant Organization:	University of California, Davis

Summary:

New demands of meat packers, as a result of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) implementation, have focused attention on the quality of incoming cattle to the slaughter plant. Because cull dairy cattle are a major source of beef, programs to educate producers about food safety and quality assurance are critical. The purpose of this project is to deliver a web-based dairy beef food safety curriculum to dairy producers, veterinarians and farm advisors that will provide a consistent food safety message throughout the industry. The goals are to have producers and their advisors (1) understand issues regarding dairy market cattle faced by packers working with HACCP plans, (2) be able to identify farm-specific risks for food safety and carcass quality, and (3) identify ways to enhance markets for cull cattle and generate greater profits. The program consists of discrete learning modules, will be delivered first in the West asynchronously, evaluated, and later adapted for a national, sustainable program. This program will impact veterinarians and farm advisors by increasing knowledge and services to offer producers and will impact producers by providing information on dairy beef food safety and quality to maintain markets, comply with regulations and meet packer needs.

Authorized Organizational Representative:

Name:	Louise J. Ivey
Email:	ljivey@ucdavis.edu
Phone Number:	(530) 752-2075
FAX Number:	(530) 752-5432
Address:	University of California, Davis
	Davis, CA 95616

IRS Number:	946036494W
Congressional District Number:	III
Period of Proposed Project Dates:	09/01/2001 to 08/31/2002

Principal Investigator/Project Director #1:

Name:	Dale A Moore DVM PhD
Email:	dmoore@vmtrc.ucdavis.edu
Phone Number:	(559) 688-1731 x217
FAX Number:	(559) 686-4231
Address:	18830 Rd 112
	Tulare, CA 93274

Curriculum Vitae:

Principal Investigator/Project Director #2:

Name:	Michael A Payne DVM PhD
Email:	mpayne@ucdavis.edu
Phone Number:	(530) 752-7507
FAX Number:	(530) 752-0903
Address:	Dept Environmental Toxicology, UC Davis
	Davis, CA 95616

Curriculum Vitae:

Principal Investigator/Project Director #3:

Name:	Donald J Klingborg DVM
Email:	djklingbor@vmdean.ucdavis.edu
Phone Number:	(530) 752-7164
FAX Number:	(530) 752-7563
Address:	SVM:Office of Public Programs, UC Davis
	Davis, CA 95616

Curriculum Vitae:

Principal Investigator/Project Director #4:

Name:	Robert W Sams
Email:	rwsams@ucdavis.edu
Phone Number:	(530) 754-8539
FAX Number:	(530) 754-8499
Address:	219 DANR Bldg, U.C. Davis
	Davis, CA 95616

Curriculum Vitae:

Principal Investigator/Project Director #5:

Name:	Franklyn Garry DVM
Email:	fgarry@vth.colostate.edu
Phone Number:	(970) 491-1274
FAX Number:	(970) 491-1275
Address:	College of Veterinary Medicine, Colorado State University
	Fort Collins, CO 80523-1620

Curriculum Vitae:

Principal Investigator/Project Director #6:

Name:	William R Wailes PhD
Email:	wwailes@agsci.colostate.edu
Phone Number:	(970) 491-5390
FAX Number:	(970) 491-5326
Address:	Dept. Animal Sciences, Colorado State University
	Fort Collins, CO 80523

Curriculum Vitae:

Principal Investigator/Project Director #7:

Name:	Dean E Falk MS
Email:	deanfalk@uidaho.edu
Phone Number:	(208) 736-3609
FAX Number:	(208) 736-0843
Address:	Animal & Veterinary Science Dept., Univ of Idaho, P.O. Box 1827
	Twin Falls, ID 83303-1827

Curriculum Vitae:

Principal Investigator/Project Director #8:

Name:	Donald Hansen DVM
Email:	donald.hansen@orst.edu
Phone Number:	(541) 737-6533
FAX Number:	(541) 737-2730
Address:	College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University
	Corvallis, OR 97331

Curriculum Vitae:

Description of the Agricultural Communication Network Project:

1. Project Objectives:

· To improve agricultural research underlying agricultural telecommunications.

· Make optimal use of available resources for agricultural extension, resident education, and research by sharing resources between participating institutions.

· Enhance the ability of United States agriculture to respond to environmental and food safety concerns.



Explain how the project relates to the Program Objective(s) and how the Project will contribute to achieving these.

The project will address three Ag Telecommunications Program objectives:
- To improve agricultural research underlying agricultural telecommunications.
- Make optimal use of available resources for agricultural extension, resident education, and research by sharing resources between participating institutions.
- Enhance the ability of the United States agriculture to respond to environmental and food safety concerns. The purpose of the project is to deliver a program to a large audience of western dairy producers, veterinary practitioners and farm advisors in on-farm food safety and quality assurance for dairy beef. The important component of this broad audience appeal, and a reason for distance delivery, is to provide a consistent food safety message to dairy producers and their advisors. Producers often get conflicting advice or information from their advisors and remain confused about issues and what they should do about them. This project will outline and deliver the knowledge base and tools necessary for producers and their advisors to provide science-based programs to reduce food safety/quality risks from dairy cattle marketed to slaughter.

A major thrust of the project is research and evaluation. Learning stages or learners "readiness" to participate in a course on dairy beef food safety/quality is unknown. The first phase of the research is to understand the learners readiness to learn and learning style. The second phase of the research is to assess learning after course participation. The third phase is course evaluation using different mechanisms of evaluation.

This project has pulled together faculty and resources in agricultural extension and veterinary medicine, forged new partnerships, facilitated collaborations using resources of the University of California, and shared expertise and a curriculum critical to food safety and quality issues in the western region. The project will result in a web- and CD-Rom based course in dairy market cattle food safety and quality for dairy producers, veterinarians and farm advisors, providing a consistent message that is relevant and practical. Some examples of the types of food safety issues included in the curriculum are: (1) rational drug use to reduce residue and antibiotic resistance risks, (2) improving herd health and economically sound culling decisions to provide quality animals to packers, and (3) the idea that dairy producers are also in the beef business and that they must be in tune with the needs and concerns of packers. Addressing food safety and dairy beef quality is essential to maintain or build new markets for cull cows, comply with regulations, and meet packer needs.

2. Description of Agricultural Communication Network to be Developed or Utilized.

The University of California will take responsibility for adaptation and delivery of the course on-line. The knowledge-base acquisition and learner assessment will be designed to use asynchronous tools such as the World Wide Web and CD-ROMs.
Currently, the University of California (UC) School of Veterinary Medicine (see URLs below) network infrastructure and instructional computing resources (see URL below) include systems for multimedia development. The University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Communication Services (see URL below) can support video and on-line production. Asynchronous learning resources, including web-based instructional modules and other tools will be supported by both UC Veterinary Medicine and UC Communication Services networks. Wide area networking infrastructure can be provided by DANR Connect (see URL below) in cooperation with UCNet and CENIC (see URLs below). In addition, satellite teleconference coverage of the continental US (CONUS) can be provided by the UCTV channel which broadcasts to all direct broadcast satellite (DBS) subscribers of Direct TV. This channel could provide instructional coverage, repeat presentations, key issues updates, and additional services.
UC Davis DANR Communication Services already possesses high-quality audio, video, and graphics compression software programs including MP3, AVI, Realsystem G2, Quicktime 4.0., Windows Media, MPEG and streaming media over the web, and has the ability to produce CD-ROMs. Communication Services will use Media Cleaner Pro Production Bundle for audio/video compression and Adobe Premiere 5.1. Currently they do non-linear digital video editing with Final Cut Pro on an Apple G4/500 and use the Adobe After Effects Production Bundle for effects and animation. For live videostreaming to the web and the ability to save it for on-demand use, the project requires the use of the Sorenson Broadcaster. Standard software programs ---Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and 3D animation software --- are already in use for professional media production. At the end of the course, CD-roms of all course materials will be supplied to farm advisors and veterinarians for them to deliver the program to producers in a local setting. These items will be produced and distributed through the DANR Communication Services distribution system.
Online registration for continuing education programs are currently handled by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Office of Public Programs, on their website. That office will take responsibility for this technical aspect of the course.
New synergies will be created by the combination of unique educational resources, professionals who require lifelong continuing education, a unique network and technology resources. The fundamental purpose of this grant proposal is to enhance a curriculum to create excellent content and develop an instructional design that will attract sustaining learners to participate. The advantages of conducting adult and continuing education on-line are that it is timely, deliverable to rural areas, inexpensive for participants, can be easily updated, involves self-paced learning, provides for some degree of interactivity, provides immediate feedback, and can utilize situational cognition (contextual thinking).
URLs of supporting telecommunications network infrastructure and services.
A*DEC - http://www.adec.edu
ANR Communication Services - http://commserv.ucdavis.edu/ucce/
CE Link - http://commserv.ucdavis.edu/ucce/services/default.shtml#Distance
DANR Connect - http://commserv.ucdavis.edu/ucce/computer/default.shtml
UC Vet Med - http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu
UC Vet Med Computer Assisted Learning Facility - http://www.calf.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/HTML_docs/CALF.html
UC Vet Med Teaching and Research Center - http://www.vmtrc.ucdavis.edu
UC Vet Med Public Programs/Continuing Education http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/CE/CE.html
UC Vet Med Extension - http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetext/home.html
UCNet - http://nms.ucop.edu
CENIC - http://www.cenic.org
UCTV - http://www.uctvonline.org/

Describe the Cost/Benefit Analysis for purchasing (or leasing) different types of facilities, equipment, components, hardware and software, or other items. (complete only if applicable to your project).

3. Agricultural Communication Network Programming:

Animal Science

Veterinary Medicine

Describe the Programming and how it will contribute to achieving the Objective(s):

This project is a continuation of a partially-funded Ag Telecommunications Program project (20043) that pulled together faculty and resources in agricultural extension and veterinary medicine, forged new partnerships, and shared expertise to enhance a curriculum critical to dairy beef food safety and quality issues in the western states. A working website prototype of the course has been developed.

Objective 1: To improve agricultural research underlying agricultural telecommunications: The project will assess learning styles and stages of learning for participants of the course as well as baseline knowledge and attitudes on dairy beef food safety and quality. A post-program evaluation will evaluate course content, website use, and changes in knowledge and attitudes. Information from on-line quizzes will reinforce learning at the end of each course segment and provide evidence of participant understanding of course material.

Objective 2: Make optimal use of available resources for agricultural extension, resident education, and research by sharing resources among participating institutions: Effective adult education programs require a team to successfully design, develop and deploy them. With the first Ag Telecommunications grant, UC Davis shared the curriculum with 6 western university partners and obtained feedback on course content and design. New Mexico, our seventh partner, is now represented with a collaborator. All seven participating institutions are in western states with large dairy herd operations having similar issues in dairy beef food safety and quality. Each institution has an extension education network and links to the veterinary profession. Collaborative marketing will help insure a broader audience.

Objective 3: Enhance the ability of United States agriculture to respond to environmental and food safety concerns: Producers often get conflicting advice or information from their advisors and remain confused about issues and what they should do about them. This project will outline and deliver the knowledge base and tools necessary for producers and their advisors to reduce food safety/quality risks from and improve carcass quality of dairy market cattle. Because new demands of meat packers, as a result of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point plan implementation, have focused attention on the quality of incoming cattle, and the fact that cull dairy cattle are a major source of beef, programs to educate producers about food safety/quality assurance are critical to meet packer needs and assure consumer confidence, thereby insuring current and future markets. Some of the learning objectives include: (1) list the major issues in market cow quality/meat safety and new demands on packers, (2) identify potential food safety hazards originating on their farm or their clients farms, (3) use an algorithm for making culling decisions based on food safety, quality and economics, (4) identify ways to improve the meat quality or safety from cattle off their farm, (5) for veterinarians and farm advisors, be able to deliver a consistent message to producers about dairy beef food safety, and (6) be able to identify resources in food safety to develop on-farm programs.

Detailed description of methods to be used in producing and/or delivering the programing.

To finish production and delivery of this modular course requires the completion of several different segments, using different media. The project also requires staff assistance to facilitate delivery, data capture and communications.
This project was partially funded through the Ag Telecommunications Program, 2000. With partial funding, we accomplished the following: (1) CD-ROMs made of instructional materials (program agenda, script, two videos, four computer slide-sets, three quizzes, with a program to view the videos) and mailed to collaborators for review; (2) Met to critique and edit the curriculum; made editing assignments; (3) Edited slide-set for physical hazards; (4) Video scripted and shot for edited chemical hazards segment; (5) Obtained additional funding for the project; (6) recruited New Mexico collaborator with expertise in dairy management and improving carcass quality of cull dairy cows; (7) Contracted web designer to develop working prototype; and (8) Pursued collaborations with National Cattlemens Beef Association (NCBA) for potential sponsorship and sustainability of the project.

With additional funding, we will: (1) Formalize collaboration with New Mexico State University; (2) Develop slide-set segment on carcass quality and profits; (3) Finish audio voice-over for slide-sets; (4) Make video of a packing plant manager discussing his plants criteria for incoming cattle; (5) Script/ shoot video of injection site lesion/carcass quality; (6) Complete new segment on antimicrobial resistance and prudent drug use; (7) Edit site; (8) Develop list of advisory committee members for formative evaluation (include representatives from: National Meats Association; NCBA, CA Cattlemen, The Ohio State University, CA Dairy Quality Assurance, CA Dairy Research Foundation, farm advisor and veterinary groups, and others; (9) Develop a marketing and advertising plan for the seven states; (10) Create enduring materials for trainers (farm advisors and veterinarians) to conduct in-residence training; (11) Announce course availability; (12) Capture information on participant stages of learning, learning styles, demographics, quizzes, course evaluation; (13) Begin data analysis and outlines for 2-3 manuscripts; (14) Present curriculum and research findings, and (14) Work with NCBA on project sustainability.

There are three different routes for program delivery. The basic course materials have been developed for the producer and herdsman audience with special segments developed for their advisors. (1) These individuals could go directly to the course website and review the materials to participate. However, the greatest impact of any educational material comes when the environment around the individual learning or behavior change is consistent and reinforced. If the producer, veterinarian, and farm advisor/ county agent have covered the same materials and received the same messages, the messages are more likely to be reinforced. (2) The materials will also be made available to the farm advisor and dairy veterinarian in a CD-Rom format so that they may deliver the course to producers in a local setting. It will also be possible to deliver the course in-residence through video projection of the on-line materials. (3) Because some of the western states have very few dairy cooperative extension advisors or dairy veterinarians who can be trained to deliver the program to producers, the university-based extension specialists will be marketing and delivering the course to producers unable to use the program on-line.

4. Population to be Served and Target Audience(s):

This project targets three populations. Dairy producers, farm advisors and veterinarians will learn about and understand dairy beef food safety and quality issues. The potential participants in the west include approximately 400 dairy veterinarians and farm advisors and over 3200 dairy producers, most with herds greater than 200 cows.

The veterinarians role in food safety issues has been widely discussed (Anon 1997; Buntain 1997; Cullor 1995b; Fajt & Spire 1997; Hentschl 1992; Herrick 1997; Noordhuizen & Welpelo 1996; Russell 1996). Food safety issues include public health concern for antibiotic residues in meat and milk; contamination of meat and milk by Listeria, Campylobacter, E. coli and Salmonella spp.; and the possibility of transfer of resistance to human pathogens as a result of antimicrobial use in food animals. Food animal veterinarians often find themselves in the middle of these issues because they are the livestock producers primary resource for disease control, treatment, and information on management and health care decisions. Veterinarians are, or should be, integral in the development of management decisions about on-farm food safety. In a cooperative extension study of dairy producers using Total Quality Management, follow-up showed that producers found value with the program but desired continuous presence of an advisor or team to work with them and monitor their progress (Donaldson 1998).

In surveys of meat packers, dairy veterinarians, and government veterinarians conducted for this project, needs for on-farm food safety education were determined (Moore, Sischo, and Wilson 2000). Some western meat packers are considering the quality of incoming cull dairy cattle as a control point for food safety hazards. More than 50 percent of dairy veterinarians and government-employed veterinarians believed that a current market for on-farm food safety services exists and more than 85 percent believed that a potential market exists. However, the longer since veterinary school graduation, the less likely their belief in a current market. Veterinarians were more likely to express a strong interest in offering on-farm food safety services if they believed a current market existed, reported that they already offer such services, or listed residues and pathogens as the most important issues facing the dairy industry. Although perceiving a potential market for on-farm food safety services, veterinarians were somewhat unsure of their role in this area. New demands of packers slaughtering cull dairy cows, as a result of HACCP plan implementation, may be the motivation practitioners need to broach the subject of food safety with clients. This proposed course can provide the education and tools the participants need to develop services to deliver. More recent graduates will likely be early program participants but appropriate marketing will attract more established practitioners.

Farm advisors / cooperative extension agents will also be recipients of the course. They are experienced in program delivery and serve a vital educational role in the farming community. Linking farm advisors and veterinarians through land grant universities and the Internet to locally deliver producer education will insure a consistent message for food safety education. The project will promote the role of each as on-farm food safety and quality information resources.

The dairy producer is the ultimate beneficiary of the project. The program is designed to help them maintain cull cow markets, improve profits and prevent violations and condemnations. Farm advisors and veterinarians will multiply the information by offering education and services to producers in on-farm food safety relating to market cattle. The "multiplier effect" was proven effective in changing dairy farm management practices in a 4-year study (Moore, Sischo, and Hutchinson 1996). Producers whose veterinarian was enrolled in a 3-year dairy production medicine course were more likely to change and improve management practices compared to producers whose veterinarian was not enrolled in the course. Ultimately, from the proposed course, producers will gain knowledge and tools to market higher quality cattle to slaughter.

The potential expansion of target audiences is being pursued. The packing plant, auction yards, milk cooperatives/creameries, state departments of agriculture, dairy lenders / bankers, insurance companies and others, all have a stake in insuring quality food products coming off the farm. With additional funding, our team could pursue attracting these other audiences to the course and tailoring it to their needs.

The project will result in a web-based and CD-Rom-based educational program in dairy market cattle food safety and quality for dairy producers, veterinarians and farm advisors in seven western states. The program will provide a consistent food safety message that is both relevant and practical. Producers may take the course on-line or be reached through their advisors. The curriculum will be developed, enhanced and shared among the seven state partners and be available to participants who are often difficult to reach because of the nature of their work and their rural location.

5. Collaborating Institutions and Other Partners:

University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine
University of California, Division of Ag and Natural Resources
California Department of Food and Agriculture
California Dairy Quality Assurance ProgramColorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biome